Tottenham set to be beaten by Cardiff for non-league star Ollie Tanner, 20, with £50k transfer from Lewes close

OLLIE TANNER is set to join Cardiff in a £50,000 deal from non-league Lewes.

Tottenham were close to snapping up the winger, 20, in January before the Isthmian League Premier Division side announced personal terms could not be agreed.

But Steve Morison's side are primed to beat competition from Spurs, Brighton and Swansea for Tanner's signature.

Tanner is currently undergoing a medical ahead of signing a three-year contract with the Championship club.

Claims that old tweets from former Arsenal youth player Tanner mocking Spurs and Harry Kane in 2018 had contributed to the collapse of the £100,000 deal to the Premier League in the last transfer window were shot down by Lewes manager Tony Russell.

The Lewes boss told the Sussex Express earlier this year: "Ollie is a great lad and a great player.

"He is also very level-headed and that’s really why he has decided against this move.

“Brighton and Spurs both made bids for Ollie and while Brighton’s was silly, one from Spurs was accepted by the club.

"They therefore had permission to speak to him.

"I went with him to watch a Spurs Under-23 game and I think it made him think about what his career path would be if he went there.

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"What he’s ended up deciding is that going straight from step three of non-league to a Premier League club would be a step too far.

“In some ways it could be seen as a dream move but think about it: What would be his chances of getting in their first team?

"Ollie wants to play first-team professional football and he probably has more chance of that by going to a smaller club.

"If he does that and does well and a bigger club then comes calling, great."

It is believed Tanner has picked Cardiff because of the pathway under Morison in the Welsh capital where the wideman will have a chance of first-team opportunities.